NL8004879A - CONTINUOUS PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT FOR MODIFYING CARBON HYDROGEN MATERIAL. - Google Patents

Description

.2- YO 889

Subject: Continuous process and equipment for modifying carbohydrate material.

The invention relates to a method of amputating a carbohydrate material with various modifying or derivative agents.

More particularly, the invention relates to a method for producing modified starches and derivatives of starches in a homogeneous fluid form.

A range of high molecular weight long chain carbohydrates are known, of which starch is a characteristic representative. When these materials are treated with a solvent, usually under pressure, they reach a stage where the polymer *. can occupy and maintain various states of confination.

Such a stage is usually accompanied by a decrease in viscosity. The solvent used is usually water, although other solvents can also be used. As far as this starch is concerned, native starches in their ordinary commercial form are insoluble in water, but they can be formed into colloidal or semi-colloidal dispersions by suspending them with water and heating the resulting suspension to an elevated temperature. on which the starch granules swell or crack and are thus gelatinized. The specific temperature for gelatinization depends on the specific starch type and on the conditions during gelatinization. The properties of such gelatinized dispersions depend on many factors, such as temperature and concentration, and also on the starch material itself, as well as the manner in which the dispersion was prepared.

These gelling properties of starch suspensions on heating have always presented difficulties in methods of reacting starch with other reagents. Usually these starch reactions are carried out in batchwise operating containers for a long time.

There has been some success with continuous starch reactions and there have been e.g. continuous starch hydrolysis systems on the market, in which a starch suspension is simply pumped through a long heating coil in which the hydrolysis takes place. Such systems require a lot of factory space and energy and also have limitations in the degree of reaction that can be achieved. For example, with a hydrolysis of starch, the maximum D.E. value, which can be satisfactorily measured. in a system of this type it reaches about 50. When syrups with 80 04 8 79 -2- * a higher D.E. wishes, e.g. at least TO D.E., an enzyme conversion process is required.

An "important step forward" in the starch reactions is United States Patent 4,137,09, according to which a starch slurry is pumped through a primary heating coil, passing through the gelation phase and taking the form of a hot free-flowing liquid . This liquid is then passed under high pressure through a restrictive opening in a spatially defined tubular reaction zone and this has the effect of greatly increasing the reactivity of the starch slurry.

This apparatus was operated with an oil bath and when operating at a moderate temperature of about 10 ° C, satisfactory syrups could be produced with glucose equivalents up to about 70. For rapid conversion, these can only be achieved at very high pressures of ordinary - 2 15 more than approx. 8 U kg / cm, and there have hitherto been no technical-scale pumps which do not fail very quickly when transporting acidic starch suspensions at such pressures.

It has been found that flow rates increase sharply and the pressures may decrease when the temperature of the oil bath is increased, but this results in a decrease in the quality of the syrups obtained. At an oil temperature of e.g. Satisfactory syrups with glucose equivalents of about 60 or more could not be obtained at 190 ° C.

The usual commercial syrups have D.E. values up to 73 and for a technical machine to be fully usable it must be able to produce a high quality syrup with a D.E. to produce 73 continuously.

The invention now relates to a method in which the disadvantages of said process are overcome.

The invention relates to a continuous process and equipment for producing a modified starch material in a homogeneous fluid form, in which a suspension of carbohydrate material is continuously moved through a limited tubular preheating zone and heat is rapidly supplied to this suspension in the tubular zone. wherein it goes through a gelatinization phase and is formed into a hot free-flowing liquid at a temperature of at least 125 ° C. The heat is obtained from a 8004879 -3- »Λ. steam bath with steam under pressure and the temperature of the steam and the cross section of. Each tubular preheat zone is selected so that the slurry is quickly heated to minimize the size of the zone in which the starch is a high viscosity gel. This hot liquid thus formed is then immediately forced through a restrictive opening into a limited tubular reaction zone with a sudden drop in pressure and the carbohydrate material becoming highly reactive. This highly reactive material is continuously moved through the tubular reaction zone together with a reactive adjunct to yield a modified carbohydrate material in fluid form,

The equipment of the invention is a reactor with an extended tubular preheater with various flow tubes passed through a heat exchange container. which exchange container is configured to hold steam overpressure, with a feed to this preheater consisting of a tube connected through a plurality of flow tube inputs, a drain from the preheater from a drain tube connected through a number of drains of the various straw tubes, the dimensions of the inlet tube, the discharge tube and the 20 flow tubes being regulated so that the velocities through the tubes are substantially equal, with a first flow-retaining nozzle connected to the single discharge tube, with an elongated reaction tube, of which the inlet is connected to this first nozzle and positive transport pump members are connected to the inlet tube.

The carbohydrate material can be selected from the unmodified carbohydrate materials, chemically modified carbohydrate materials, derivative carbohydrate materials and mixtures thereof. The most common material is starch, e.g. of corn, potatoes, tapioca, sago, rice, wheat, sticky corn, sorghum and sticky sorghum. They can be used in refined form or as natural components of cereals. It is also possible to use hemicellulose-containing materials, e.g. the enveloping fibers, isolated when wet grinding.

The material reacting with the carbohydrates can be selected from acids, bases, salts and mixtures thereof, as well as from enzymes which yield a modified carbohydrate. Also, the reagent may be a carbohydrate 8004879-Λ-derivative, such as sodium tripolyphosphate, propylene oxide, 2,3-epoxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, sodium chloroacetate, epoxy chlorohydrin, acetic anhydride, maleic anhydride, 2-chloroethyl diethyl amine hydrochloride 3-epoxypropyl sulfonate ,. Triethylamine, sulfur 5-trioxide and urea.

Some natural starch molecules are particularly long and may need to be broken down to a manageable point in the preheating zone. This can be achieved with the aid of a splitting agent, such as an acid, in the carbohydrate suspension.

In a method of the present type, the carbohydrate slurry must pass through a gel stage and then reach an equilibrium state. At equilibrium, the suspension has passed through a viscosity peak and returned to a relatively low viscosity, e.g. less than 500 cps at 90 ° C immediately after discharge, without the carbohydrate material having undergone a clear reaction.

It is an important feature of the invention that the size of the zone in which the gel has a high viscosity is kept minimal, because it is thus possible to quickly reach the equilibrium stage without the need for extreme conditions in temperature and / or pressure. in the preheating zone. This requires a very rapid heat supply to the slurry in the preheating zone without the carbohydrate being seared significantly, and this has been achieved according to the invention through individual tubular preheating zones of limited cross section which pass through a superheated steam heating bath.

The steam usually has a pressure between 7 and 17.5 kg / cm, with p the range of 7-6.7 kg / cm being preferred. Stocm with a pressure of 7 kg / cm gives a bath temperature of 166 ° C, while stocm with a pressure of 8.7 kg / cm gives a bath temperature of 185 ° C. It is furthermore particularly desirable to use a saturated steam, because it is more uniform because of the heating.

It is also important to transport the material through the preheating zone as quickly as possible, because long heating times promote undesired side reactions. This is especially important in the hydrolysis of starch, because slow reactions promote the production of materials such as gentiobiosis, which give the product a bitter taste. In the process of the invention, the kaol hydrate slurry is usually passed through the gel stage and "equilibrated at the reaction temperature within about 100 seconds, most preferably within 25-5 seconds using a preheating tube with an internal diameter of 13 mm and within approx. 50-100 seconds when using a pre-heating tube with an internal diameter of 25 mm.

The current suspension speed. is usually 15-120 cm / sec, most preferably 30-90 cm / sec.

At these equilibrium conditions and desired reaction temperatures, the hot carbohydrate liquid is forced through a restrictive opening into a tubular reaction zone of limited size with a sudden drop in pressure. This has the effect of greatly increasing the reactivity of the carbohydrate so that it can react very quickly with the reactive additives within the tubular reaction zone. Such additives can be added to the hydrocarbon slurry before passing it through the preheating zone, but can also enter directly. the highly reactive material is injected immediately behind the restrictive opening. "

The tubular preheat zone can take any desired configuration, provided that a continuous flow of material can be maintained therein. It can e.g. be a heat exchange tube through which the material is driven by a continuous transport pump. In order to achieve the desired high degree of heat exchange throughout the slurry, the individual heat exchange tubes are preferably carried out with a relatively small diameter, e.g. less than 5 cm. It has been found to be particularly advantageous to use pipes with small diameters of e.g. 13 mm to 38 mm. For diameters of 25 mm or more, it may be advantageous to use static mixers to ensure good mixing within the tubes.

In addition, further heating and mixing of the starch suspension can be achieved by directly injecting steam into the suspension inside the tube, e.g. by injecting steam into the area of the preheating zone inlet. This can cause the temperature of the suspension to rise very quickly, but on the other hand it naturally has a thinning effect on the suspension. The further heating to equilibrium conditions is achieved by indirect heating in a steam bath.

8004879 -6-

The restrictive opening must have a cross section that is significantly smaller than the cross section of the individual preheating tubes, and each opening is preferably less than 6 mm in diameter.

The restrictive opening between the preheating zone and the reaction zone 5 may be in the form of a single opening, or a series of juxtaposed openings.

The temperature of the material passing through the restrictive opening is at least 125 ° C and is preferably between 130 and 10 ° C in an acidic hydrolysis of starch. For other reactions, the temperature may of course deviate clearly from this.

The. pressure at the entry site to the restrictive opening is usually 2 at least 21 kg / cm and most preferably at least 35-TO kg / cm. The upper limit is mainly determined by the power of the pump to bring the suspension to this pressure. There is a marked pressure drop over the restrictive opening and it is preferably in the order of 21-1 * 2 kg / cm.

The tubular reaction zone can also be of any desired configuration, provided that. the material can be kept flowing continuously. Preferably, it is in the form of a heat exchange tube, either passing through the preheating steam bath or through a separate heat exchange bath of the same or different temperature than the preheating steam bath. The reaction tube can be the same size as the preheating tubes, but can also be wider or narrower than these tubes, depending on the materials to be processed.

Usually, the size of the reaction tube is less critical than the size of the preheat tube, because the material entering the reaction tube is already a free-flowing liquid that has assumed the reaction temperature.

The residence time in a tubular reaction zone with a diameter of 13 mm usually takes less than 2 minutes to prepare a starch syrup with a D.E. to 73 and a syrup of 73 D.E. high quality can be obtained according to the invention at a total residence time in a preheating and reaction zone of 13 mm in less than 2.5 minutes.

It is desirable that the pressure within the reactor be fully controlled by the 8004879

,* A

-τ- feed pump is controlled, rather than by some form of a pressure-responsive recirculation loop. This can be accomplished by a variable positive speed transfer pump, e.g. a Moyno pump, where the pressure in the reactor is controlled by the pump speed. Thus, the material to be treated moves through the reactor as a continuously transported moving mass.

Even better control of this system is achieved if control is maintained over the pressure within the tubular reaction zone and this can be easily achieved by providing a further restrictive opening 10 at the outlet of the reaction zone. The pressure within the reaction zone is preferably maintained at a level such that the material in the reaction zone is readily liquid, e.g. at approx. I kg / cm.

A number of preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic flow chart showing the equipment for carrying out the invention; fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of. the equipment; FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a tubular collector; Fig. 3a shows a cross section of a preferred collector; Fig. k is a graph of D.E. values against the residence time in the reactor; Fig. 5 is a graph of the glucose content versus the residence time in the reactor; Fig. 6 is a graph of the temperature trend in steam and oil heated reactors and Fig. 7 is a graph of the pressure drop against the flow rates at a steam reactor.

In Fig. T, a storage tank 10 is provided for a starch suspension feed. This tank has a drain pipe 11 that feeds a Moyno pump 12. The suspension is pumped from pump 12 to pipe 13 and from there with high pressure to the heating coil 1k. The pressure within coil 1k is controlled by the speed of pump 12.

The main reactor of this device is a closed and insulated container 15, mainly a steam vessel which is supplied with steam via 80 04 8 79-8 input 16 and contains a discharge for steam 17. A steam control valve 13 is mounted on the inlet.

The tubular spiral 11 · is made of stainless steel and is preferably formed as a spiral. This is the preheater for the reaction 5 and the slurry suspension passes through the gel stage and is formed into a hot free-flowing liquid. The discharge of preheating tube 1H passes through a first restrictive opening of nozzle 18 of a considerably smaller diameter than the diameter of tube 1U. The outlet of nozzle 18 opens into a further stainless steel tube 19 which forms the tubular reaction zone according to the invention. This spiral tube goes back through solid vessel 15 and the reaction takes place in the hot liquid in spiral 19 during this passage.

To control the pressure within coil 19, a second restrictive opening or nozzle 20 is provided at the drain. The reaction product 15 is finally collected in discharge tube 21.

Fig. 2 schematically depicts an arrangement that provides the device with a higher capacity. Since one of the important features of the invention resides in the short heating time of the reactive materials, it is very important to pass the starch slurry through the gel stage as quickly as possible and bring it to the reaction temperature as quickly as possible. This is accomplished in Figure 2 by connecting the slurry inlet 13 to a plurality consisting of two branched pipes 22 and 23. Each of these branched pipes is further divided into three further branched pipes 2h, 25 and 26 within the heat exchange vessel. Thus, six preheating coils occur through holder 15. As a result, a very rapid heat exchange between steam and suspension is possible.

Each group of three coils debouches into a single drain tube 27 and 28, which in turn feeds a single drain 29 which debouches at the first nozzle 18. The rest of the reaction proceeds in the same manner as described in Fig. 1.

Since the viscosity of the material to be processed varies widely as it passes through the preheating zone, it is very important that the size of the tubes be such that a constant speed occurs over all tubes at each point of the process. For example, when discharging the tubes 2h, 25 and 26, as shown in Fig. 3, the size of 8004879 * -9- the houses 2b, 25 and 26 on the one hand and the housing 27 on the other must be such that the speeds in all four of these houses is constant. The same applies to the three preheating housings that come out in pipe 28 and the flow in houses 27 and 28 must also be equal, so that the materials coming out of the various houses are at the same stage of processing, since they are pipe 29 and the first mouthpiece 18.

The main branch houses 22 and 23 may contain taps, so that one or heath pipes can be used. In addition, these pipes 22 and 23 together with 27 and 28 may contain couplings, so that individual bundles 10 of housings 2b, 25, 26 can be removed for maintenance. When a bundle is removed, the remainder of the reactor can continue to operate.

A preferred form of collector for the different preheating reaction tubes is shown in Figure 3a. A problem that can arise when a series of tubes flows into a single discharge tube is that if the conditions within the various tubes are not absolutely identical, there can be a tendency for a faster flow through one of the tubes than through the others and will then tend to drain faster into the discharge tube than the slower tubes, making the product less homogeneous.

The collector of Fig. 3a is in the form of a frusto-conical vessel 31 with. the drains from the tubes 2b, 25 and 26 coincide at the wide end of 31 at an angle to the axis of this vessel. Thus, the streams from the tubes 2b, 25 and 26 bump into each other within 31, causing homogeneous mixing at this point and the tendency of a given stream from one of the tubes 2b, 25 or 26 to flow directly to drain tube 27 oppressed. This catcher can be used at any point in the system, drain or expel multiple tubes into a single tube.

The systems shown above give the reaction tube spring, which passes through the same heat exchanger as the preheat housings. Of course, depending on the reaction, the reaction tube may also be passed partially or completely outside this heat exchanger, or pass through another heat exchange bath, and sheet at a temperature different from that of the preheating bath.

8004879 -10-

The following examples further illustrate the invention. All amounts are parts by weight unless otherwise indicated.

Example I: a) This process was carried out using a reactor of the type shown in Fig. 1. Coils 1U and 19 were made of stainless steel and had an internal diameter of 13 mm, coil 1 ^ having a length of 36.6 m. and coil 19 a length of 12.2 m. The first nozzle had a diameter of 1.6 mm and the second nozzle. the shape of a. pair of adjacent openings each with a diameter of 10 1.6 mm.

A starch suspension was formed from starch and water, and this suspension

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suspension contained 36.1 # dry matter. 200 cm hydrochloric acid was added to this suspension per b5 kg of starch dry matter, and as a result the suspension had a conductivity of UlOO micrcmhos at 30 ° C. This suspension was passed through the reactor at a rate of 7.5 l / nin under the following reaction conditions:

Table A

Reactor conditions: temperatures;

20 steam supply l6T ° C

steam after control valve 163 ° C

steam bath (bottom) 160 ° C

steam bath (top) 160 ° C

first nozzle input 1 ^ 8 ° C

25 outlet first nozzle lit8 ° C

inlet second nozzle 159 ° C

Pressures: 2 steam supply 7 kg / crn overpressure 2 steam after control valve 5.7 kg / cm overpressure, -> 2 30 discharge feedpcmp 70 kg / em overpressure 2 inlet first nozzle 52.5 kg / cm overpressure 2 outlet first nozzle 32.9 kg / cm overpressure

The hot starch liquid immediately before the first nozzle 18 had a viscosity of about 25 cps at 80 ° C. The product obtained had a D.E. from ca. ib.

b) The above equipment was modified with an 8004879 Λ% -11 preheating coil of 2k, h m and reaction coils of varying lengths. With this arrangement, "the residence time in the preheating zone was about 33 seconds and the total residence time in the reactor was between 5-0 and 150 seconds.

The starch slurry contained 36k% dry matter and tests were carried out with 1 ^ 0 and 200cm hydrochloric acid per 1 * 5kg / starch dry matter in the slurry. The standing bath temperature was 166 ° C and the outlet pressure

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of the feed pump 63 kg / cm gauge pressure. This yielded D.E. values between 15 and about 73 with the product being of very good quality.

The D.E. results are shown in:,, Figure U and demonstrate the rapid rise of the D.E. value within the reaction tube. Fig. 5 gives a separate graph of the glucose fractions in the products of the different experiments.

Example II: a) A series of further tests were carried out in the same equipment as described above to obtain corn syrups with D.E. values above 70.

By again using 13 mm tubes, a test was carried out with a preheating coil with a length of 2k, km and the reactor coil with a length of 85 * 3 m. The first nozzle had a diameter of 1.6 mm and a second nozzle consisted of two neighboring holes, each with a diameter of 1.6 mm.

An aqueous starch suspension was prepared containing 3kQ% starch

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dry matter and 190 c of hydrochloric acid was added to U5 kg of starch dry matter. This gave a conductivity of 3 ^ 50 micranhos.

This suspension was pumped through the reactor at a rate of 6.8 liters per minute under the following reaction prewashes:

Table B

Reactor conditions: 30 temperature:

steam supply l65 ° C

steam after control valve 165 ° C

steam bath (bottom) 167 ° C

steam bath (top) 165 ° C

35 entry of first nozzle 1h ^, 6 ° C

ftfl 04 879 -12-

first nozzle outlet lk5.9 ° C

second nozzle inlet 162 ° C

Pressures: 2 steam supply 6.9 kg / cm overpressure 2 5 steam after control valve 6.8 kg / cm overpressure o discharge of feed pump 63 kg / cm overpressure input second nozzle I kg / cm overpressure

The product obtained was a corn syrup with an excellent taste and a D.E. from approx. 7k. This product had a dry matter content of 10 bb-b5%.

h) The trial shown above was repeated with. a pre-heating coil with a length of 2k, km and a reaction coil with a length of 73.1m. In other respects "the equipment remained unchanged.

The food suspension was a pearl corn starch suspension with 35.9% dry matter and 200 car hydrochloric acid per K5 kg of starch dry matter. This slurry was pumped through the reactor at a rate of 6.6 l / min at a temperature of the first nozzle 1k6 ° C.

The product obtained had a D.E. of about 73 and contained bdtb% glucose.

C) The test was repeated with a preheating coil of 8, k m and a reaction coil of 16.8 m. Again, the rest of the equipment was left unchanged. The nutrient slurry contained 35.5 # of pearl maize starch dry matter

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190 cm of hydrochloric acid per 1 + 5 kg of starch dry matter added. This assembly was passed through the reactor at a rate of 7.1 l / min and the inlet temperature at the first nozzle was 161 ° C. The product obtained had a D.E. of about 72 and contained 1 + 9.88 # of glucose and 19.37 # of dimer. Example III:

A series of tests were performed with the same equipment as in Example 1 cm. determine the temperature rise of the starch suspension within the preheating coil and the reaction coil. The slurry contained about 37 # starch dry matter and the experiments were performed with

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suspensions containing lko and 200 cm HCl. The flow rate was about 79 cm.

These experiments were conducted with a steam bath and an oil bath 8004879 -13- for heat exchange with bath temperatures of 160 ° C and 16 ° C.

The results obtained are shown in Fig. 6.

Example IV:

A trial was conducted to illustrate the importance of a rapid

5 le heat input into the preheating zone. The reactor of Example 1

was used with a preheating coil with a length of 2k, km.

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The food suspension contained 37% starch dry matter and 200 cm HCl per kj kg starch. The bath had a temperature of 165 ° C. The slurry was pumped through the reactor at different rates and the pressure drop across the system was recorded each time. The results are shown in fig. 7 ·

These show that at increasing speeds there is a very large increase in the pressure drop. The very high pressure drops require very high input pressures, as a result of which the pump and the other equipment are very heavily loaded. Thus, the faster the heat transfer in the preheating zone, the faster the suspension passes through the gel stage and the less energy is required to move the material through the tube.

8004879

Claims (22)

1. A continuous process for preparing a modified carbohydrate material in fluid form by continuously passing a slurry of carbohydrate material through a tuhular preheating zone and transferring heat to this slurry through a gelation phase and a hot free-flowing liquid at a temperature of at least 125 ° C is formed, this hot liquid is immediately forced through a restrictive opening into a tuhular reaction zone accompanied by a sudden decrease in pressure, making the carbohydrate material highly reactive, and transporting the highly reactive carbohydrate material together with a reactive additive through the tuhular reaction zone to prepare a modified carbohydrate material in a fluid form, characterized in that the heat is transferred to the slurry from atmospheric pressure which represents at least a portion of the tuhular preheating zone, the temperature of the steam and the cross section of each tuhular heating zone are aligned to "1" so that the heat of the steam is rapidly transferred throughout the suspension and the size of the zone with a high viscosity gel occurring during the gelatinization phase is at least is being held. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the carbohydrate material is a starch. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the additive consists of an acid, a base, a salt or mixtures thereof, or of enzymes. 25 1 *. Process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the additive is a carbohydrate-forming agent. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the starch material is introduced into the preheating zone at a temperature of 130-170 ° C. 6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the material has a pressure of at least 7 kg / cm. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the steam has a pressure of 7-8.7 kg / cm. 8. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the substance 35 is saturated steam. 8004879 -15- Method according to claim 6, characterized in that each tubular feeding zone has a diameter of at most 36 cm. 10. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the starch material is passed through the preheater at a speed of 15-120 cm / sec. 11. Process according to claim 10, characterized in that the starch suspension in the preheater contains 10-50% dry matter. 12. A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the hot free-flowing liquid from the preheating zone has a viscosity of less than 500 cps at 90 ° C immediately after discharge. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that. the pressure "when entering the preheating zone is at least 21 kg / cm." lh. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the restrictive opening comprises at least one opening, each opening having a diameter of at most 6 mm. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the starch suspension is brought into the preheating zone at a temperature of at least 130 ° C "within 100 seconds. 16. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the starch suspension in the preheating zone is brought to at least 130 ° C in about 5 seconds. IJ. Continuous process for preparing a modified starch material in fluid form by continuously passing a starch slurry through a tubular preheat zone with a diameter of up to 38 cm at a rate of 15 to 120 cm / sec, to this slurry in the preheating zone to supply heat from a steam bath containing saturated steam at a pressure of at least 7 kg / cm, the suspension passing the gelation stage and an equilibrium state in the form of a hot free-flowing liquid at a temperature of at least 125 ° C immediately presses this hot liquid through a respective opening in a tubular reaction zone accompanied by a rapid decrease in pressure, the starch liquid becoming very reactive and this highly reactive starch liquid continuously moving through the tubular reaction zone together with a reactive additive. a modified starch product in fluid form oristate. 0niUR79 -16- A continuous process for preparing starch syrups with DE values up to at least 73 by continuously passing an acidified starch slurry through a tubular preheating zone with a diameter of no more than about 38 cm and a speed of 15-120 cm / sec, and to this 5 starch suspension. a steam bath with saturated steam with a pressure of at least. 7 kg / cm of heat to be supplied, the starch suspension passing through the gel stage and reaching an equilibrium state in the form of. a hot free-flowing liquid with a temperature of at least 125 ° C, the hot acidified starch liquid immediately pressed through a restrictive opening in a tubular reaction zone, accompanied by a sudden decrease in pressure, whereby the starch becomes highly reactive and this highly reactive material continuously through the tubular reaction zone to hydrolyze this starch to starch syrup. 19. Reactor consisting of an extended tubular preheater with a series of flow tubes passed through a heat exchanger holder, which heat exchange holder is shaped to hold steam under overpressure, with a feed input to this preheater - consisting of a tube connected through a series of inlets for the said number of straw tubes, with a drain for this preheater consisting of a drain tube connected through a series of drains to the number of flow tubes, the sizes of the feed tube, the drain tube and the flow tubes being regulated such that the speeds through the tubes are substantially equal, with a first flow reducing nozzle connected to said single discharge tube, with an elongated reaction tube the input of which is connected to the outlet of the first nozzle and with a positive; transport pump member connected to the inlet tube Reactor according to claim 19, characterized in that the heat exchange container comprises a series of input tubes and a series of discharge tubes, each pair of input and discharge tubes having a series of flow tubes 30 therebetween. 21. Reactor according to claim 19, characterized in that the input tubes are connected in power to a single feedstock size. Reactor according to claim 21, characterized in that the pump is a variable speed pump and the speed of the pump is used as a pressure control means for the reactor. 8004879 -17- Reactor according to claim 22, characterized in that each of the preheating flow tubes is one. internal diameter of at most 38 cm. 2h. Reactot according to claim 20, with taps for it. separate 5 from each of the import houses. 25. Reactor according to claim 19, characterized in that the extended reaction housing passes through the same heat exchanger with the preheater. 26. Reactor according to claim 19, characterized in that the elongated reaction housing passes through another heat-exchanging container. 27. Reactor according to claim 19 with a continuous flow collector connected to the flow tube drains, which collector has a frusto-conical shape with a closed wide end and an open narrow end, the small open end being connected to the discharge tube and the flow tubes via openings in the wide end, with the flow tubes near this. openings are oriented toward the axis of the collector such that the flows from the flow tubes within the collector converge, 8004879